Electrical switch unit



April 22, 1941. 'J;- F. O'BRIEN 3 95 ELECTRICAL sw'm'cH mm Filed July 7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR lGb April 22, ,4 J. EN ELECT RIGAL SWITCH UNIT 'Filid July 7, 1939 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 22, 1941 UNlTED STAT-ES. PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL SWITCH UNIT Joseph F. O'Brien, Jersey City,.N.' J., assignor to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July '7, 1939, Serial No. 283,160

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improved electrical wiring systems, and particularly to an electrical switch device for use with electrical conductorbearing elements of standard lengths and design, adapted to be connected in seriatim with each other and with said switch device to aiiord a continuous electrical wiring system.

In the presently co-pending application Serial .No. 286,734, filed July 27, 1939, and entitled Electrical unit, there isset forth and claimed an improved electrical wiring system comprised of a plurality of standard units adapted to be interconnected in seriatim to form a continuous wir ing system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved electric switch means for said syshousing base member may be made by removtem, the switch mechanism per se being disposed withina body adaptable for such seriatim connection.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electric switch means of simplified construction and design, in which the switch cover plate is employed to maintain the operating mechanism of the switch in proper operative position, or upon removal of the said cover plate, to permit removal of the switch mechanism as a unit by mere outward withdrawal of such unit.

. It is yet another object of ,the invention to provide electrical switch means in which a jumper afiording'a permanently closed electrical circuit can be readily inserted in lieu of the switch mechanism, by removing the said switchmechanism as aforesaid and substituting therefor cover plate means associated with which is an electrical conductor-carrying element suitable to efiect such closed connection.

Pursuant to the present invention, the electric switch includes-an elongated body having a cap member and a composite base structure operatively associated therewith. .The cap member is formed with a chamber or switch housing, preferably disposed adjacent an end of said cap memher to provide an extension of said cap member which may be shortened if desired, as more fully set forth in the detailed description herein. A- 1 portion of said composite base structure is in direct operative association with said switch housing, and may be permanently secured thereto. Said base portion is provided with longitudinally extending electrical conductors to which are elec; trically connected switch contact means extend-.

ing suitably into said switch housing, the said base portion serving to maintain said switch contacts in operative position within said housing.

-means pursuant to the present invention, the

A second element of said composite base structure is removably associated with the above mentioned extension of said cap member, and cooperates with said housing base to form a substantially continuous base. Said second base element is provided with insulatedly mounted electrical conductors; electrical connection between said conductors and the conductors within said able pins of electrically conductive material,

The second mentioned base element may be provided with a wedge-like extension to form a male connection end of the said switch unit; the cap member at the end adjacent said housing cooperates with the housing base member to provide a female socket for interconnection with a male extension of a preceding conductor unit.

The switch mechanism per se may include any desired organization having a conductor element arranged to be brought into or out of engagement with said switch contacts. Desirably, said conductor element is pivotally arranged, the pivot means therefor being .supported within open-topped hearings in said switch housing.

To maintain said pivot means within the said bearings, there is provided a cover plate for said housing, said cover plate having lugs or extensions arranged to overlie the said open-topped bearings to confine the pivot means therein.

Removal of said cover plate from the housing thereby frees the switch mechanism for complete removal from the housing, the removal of said switch mechanism being eilected without switch cover plate having been removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on lines 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the switch on' the lines H of'Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the switch on the lines 5-5 of Fig. 2; 1

Fi 6 is a perspective of a portion oi the switch housing;

of the base to Fig. 'lis an exploded perspective of a base assembly for the switch housing; I

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective illustrating the stationary contact and conductor elements of the switch mechanism, and the supporting structure therefor;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the switch cover plate; and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a cover plate embodying an electrical jumper connection.

Referring tothe drawings, Fig. 1 shows so much of an electrical circuit as is necessary for an understanding of the present invention. In such circuit, conductor carrying units ll, II, desirably of standard length, embody preferably tubular conductor elements l2, l2.

A switch unit l4, forming the subject matter of the present invention, is illustrated in mechanicaLand electrically conductive association with the stated conductor elements Ill and II.

The mechanical engagement, as hereinafter described, is eiiected by an interfitting male and female joint association with contiguous units,

and the electrical connection is desirably effected by the insertion of electrically conductive pins into contiguous tubular conductors.

Referring to Figures 6, '1, and 8, the electrical switch unit I 4 includes a cap member [5, a base member 5 comprising elements Hia, lib. and a contactor base plate H. The base member I6 is preferably mechanically separable from the cap member l5.

Switch cap member I5 is formed with a suitable boxlike switch housing It, said switch housing including spaced switch fulcrum shaft cradle posts 2| and a sub-base or shelf 2|, in which shelf is provided a suitable transversely arranged aperture 22. An end lid of said switch cap I 5 remote from the stated switch housing is arranged to cooperate with base l6, to provide male end connection means, as shown in Fig. 3; the opposite end |5b is provided with a suitable tapered socket 24 arranged to receve the male connection end of a preceding unit, such as the unit ll, Fig. 1. 7

Base elements I64 and lib have formed therein matching arcuate grooves 25, 25, combining to form longitudinal tubular passages. within which may be held the desirably tubular electrical conductor elements l2, l2. Desirably, the said base elements are entirely of electrical insu iatlon material, and the conductor elements are mantained in electrically insulated relationship.

To facilitate the assembly of said base elements, it may be desirable to provide one of said elements, as lie, with suitable apertures 2, for cooperative association with pinsor tongues 21, 21 provided on the underside of the complementary base element lb.

The use of rubber, or a suitable moldable plastic in which a final step of curing or vulcanization may be effected after the conductors l2 42 and brazing or soldering the same.

have been inserted into the stated longitudinal tubular s es, provides 'for the integration an ible unit within which the said conductors are immovably positioned.

The contractor plate II, also desirably wholly of electrical insulation material, is provided with an slotted post I, A a ged to support a: stationary switch contact member 31. As

clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the contact mem-'- ber 81 may be'secured to said post 38 by a suit- .able screw 34 passing through an opening in an ear 3! intoa suitable screw threaded aperture in the post 88. w

Switch contact 31, see Figs. 4 and '1, may be provided with a tapered pin conductor element 42 for electrically conductive engagement with a tubular conductor l2. Said element 42 may be secured to the switch element 31 by bending an extension of said switch contact about pin Switch contact 31, therefore, is maintained in rigid operative position through the combined effect of the walls of the slotted post 35, which embrace the vertical portion of the switch contact and the blade portion thereof relatively closely, and the arcuately domed passag 43 at the base of said post 36, said passage 43 snugly overlying switch contact 31 at its junction with conductor pin 42.

A suitable recess 45 is provided in the surface of contactor plate l1, said recess being configurated to include a central body portion ade-- quate to accommodate the under side of the complementary switch contact element 46. Said element 48 is formed with two flat projecting ears 41, 41, adaptable to rest upon a shelf 48 provided at a side of said recess 45. The depth of shelf 48 is desirably equal to the thickness of the cars 41, so that the assembly of the plate l1 against the under side of sub-base 2|, clamps the contact ears tightly.

The vertical contact post of switch contact 46 is of suitable length to project upwardly through the aperture 22 formed in lower shelf 2|, as shown in Fig. 5, it being understood that the width of said aperture corresponds to the width of switch contact 46 so that said contact may be firmly supported; as shown in Fig. 5, contact 46 is-clamped between the sub-base 2| and the plate l1.

The conductor element 5! of switch element 46 is desirably tubular, so that electrical connection with a preceding conductor element may be made by suitable electrically conductive pins. The companion conductor element 5| is maintained in spaced and electrically insulated position within a. tubular passage formed by suitable cooperating arcuate grooves respectively in the plate l1 and sub-base 2|.

Electrical contact between tubular conductor SI and the contiguous electrical conductor I! of the base assembly unit may be made by the insertion of the tapered electrically conductive pin 42a.

Contactor base plate l1 may be suitably permanently secured-to the underside of the switch chamber shelf 2|, as by cementing or like treatment. ,It is noted from Figure 3 that plate I1 is equal in length to the shelf 2|, to the end that the edges of said plate l1 and shelf 2| may align to form a square end 'wall of the female socket 24. It is noted'further, that said plate I1 is provided with a foot or extension 53, which projects beyond the joint between the base I! and the shelf 2| to close the said joint against any possibility of accidental short circuit.

' the conductor elements of the assembled wiring system is substantially entirely concealed within. an electrically insulating structure; As present- 1y described, the switch mechanism is removable as a unit without the disconnection of the said switch contact members from the conductor elements of the said wiring system.

The switch mechanism per se is illustrated as of the tumbler type, and includes a suitable switch button 55 provided with a fulcrum shaft 55 arranged to fit snugly and rotatably within opentopped bearings 55a provided in the said cradle posts 20. Suitably secured to said button 55, as by integral molding therewith, there is provided a forked switch toggle arm 51, for operative association with a switch toggle spring arm 58. A U-shaped switch toggle 50 is freely rotatably mounted on the switch button shaft 55. A suitable movable switch contact may be secured to an arm of toggle 50, in Fig. 2, and may be spaced from said toggle arm by a suitable inter mediate insulation block 52. As shown in Fig. 3, switch toggle spring arm 58 has a transverse bar suitable for insertion into the forked end of the member 51. The opposite end of said spring arm extends into and through a suitable opening in switch toggle 50, and a con-' ventional coil spring 63 completes the assembly. Operation of the switch' button 55 compresses the spring 63 until the overthrow point is reached,-

whereupon the reaction of the spring throws the ,toggle 50, which carries the switch contact 5| either into or out of electrical engagement with the stationary switch. contacts as understood by those skilled in the art.

To limit the movement of the switch button 55, I provide the said button with a nose 550 which operates between spaced posts 59, 59a gormed in the base of the switch chamber shelf It is a feature of the present invention that the switch operating mechanism is readily removable as a unit, without disturbing the electrical connection between the stationary switch contact posts and the conductors of the wiring system.

As stated, the switch fulcrum bearings 58a provided in the cradle posts are open-topped. The fulcrum shaft is thus readily inserted into the bearings from above. To hold the shaft 55 within the bearings and to maintain the switch mechanism in proper alignment and operative relation with respect to the contacts 31,", the switch cover plate 55 is provided with downwardly extending lugs 55 of electricalinsulation material. The lugs 55 are positioned and proportioned for a snugly slidable association with the slots 61, see Fig. 6, provided in the side walls of the switch chamber II in suitable operative association and register with the cradle posts 20. The terminal portions of said lugs abut against the upper surface of the respective cradle posts 20 to close the bearings 56a against removal or upward displacement of the fulcrum shaft 55.

Switch cover plate 55 may be entirely of electrical insulation material, the lugs 55 being in-, tegral therewith. Suitable screws 55, 58 may be employed to affix the cover plate to the cap .l5.

Removal of the plate 55 frees the fulcrum 55. and the entire switch mechanism may be removed as a unit, merely by grasping the switch button.

55 and drawing the mechanism outwardly. Such procedure is best accomplished when the switch is in its "off position, in which position the contact arm 5| will be out of engagement with the contacts 51, l5.

The manner in which the entire switch 'mechanism may be removed offers an additional advantage of appreciable practical importance: a jumper may be provided to substitute for the switch mechanism in making a permanently closed circuit, in circumstances where it is not desirable to provide the facilities of a switch. Such jumper may be provided on the underside of a solid cover plate 10, see Fig. 10, equal in size and similar in configuration to the switch plate The jumper may comprise suitable spring contact elements ll, 12, of such length as to engage the respective stationary switch contacts 31, 45, with a bridging conductor 13 extending between said contact members ll, 12 to afford a completed electrical circuit. The switch unit may be removed, as aforesaid, and the jumper in- ,serted, the spring contacts of such jumper electrically connecting with the stationary contacts within the switch housing iii. In this manner, a continuously closed circuit may be maintained.

It is noted that the female socket and the male end of the switch unit it are provided with screwpassages 80, 80. In an assembly of the switch unit with contiguous conductor carrying units, see Fig. 1, the screw-passage at the socket end of one unit registers with the passage of a male end of the interfltting unit, and a wood screw or equivalent may be employed to fasten the assembly to a building moulding, studding, or the like.

Whereas I have described my invention by ref erence to specific forms thereof, it 'will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electric wiring device, comprising a body,

a chamber formed therein, said chamber having bearing means formed therein and slot means formed in a wallof said chamber above said bearings and in register therewith, switch contact elements disposed within said chamber, electric circuit breaker means disposed within said chamber and having shaft means for rotatable support upon said bearing means, and cover plate .means for said chamber, said cover plate means having downwardly extending lugs arranged for slidable insertion into said slot means, the termini of said lugs overlying the said shaft means to maintain the same in operative engagement with said bearing means.

2. An electric switch, comprising a body, a chamber formed therein, said chamber having aligned cradle means, contact elements positioned within said chamber, electric circuit breaker means removably positioned within said chamber Y for operative association with said contact elements, said circuit breaker including a fulcrum shaft arranged for pivotal engagement with said cradle means, and cover plate means for said chamber, said cover plate means having lugs arranged for cooperative association with cradle means to maintain the said fulcrum shaft in operative association with said cradle means.

3. An electric switch, comprising a body, a

' chamber formed therein and having aligned 

